This invention relates to a material or composition which is useful in the manufacture of prototype elements, and more particularly, to a ceramic feedstock composition which may be used in a ribbon or filament deposition apparatus for the manufacture or building of prototype elements.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,433 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329, there is depicted a device or apparatus which is useful for the manufacture of prototype elements. The device feeds a filament of filled or unfilled polymer or other material through a discharge nozzle for deposition upon a platen. Either the nozzle or platen or both move in accord with a pre-programed pathway to enable the filament of material discharged from the nozzle of the device to form a prototype element. For example, gear shapes may be formed in this manner, though the particular shape formed is not a limiting feature of the invention. The subject matter of U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,433 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,329 is incorporated herewith by reference.
Various compositions and materials have been used or are disclosed for use in a process of the type depicted in the aforesaid U.S. Patents. Further, applicants herein are co-inventors with respect to advanced type apparatus useful in the creation of prototype elements using a filament deposition technique.
One of the challenges with respect to such methods and procedures is to devise a ceramic or other feedstock composition which will be especially useful in the creation of prototype elements and low volume production parts. Such a feedstock material should have adequate hardenability and toughness when formed into a desired element. The feedstock material should also be capable of use in apparatus of the type described. Such materials should also be subject to binder removal and sintering so that the element created utilizing the process may acquire both high strength and sintered density (95% of theoretical) enabling it to be used in a test or low volume ceramic parts production environment. Thus there has remained a need to provide an improved feedstock composition useful for the manufacture of prototype elements using ribbon deposition type apparatus and techniques.